Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Learning Communication Online: A Contradiction?
As time goes by and technology advances, people spend increasingly more time online. We bank online, we shop online, we find entertainment online, we keep in touch with friends online, we work online, we search for jobs online, and now we even go to school online. Though in some ways, online learning seems like a great tool for distance learners, one has to wonder how much people can really gain through attending school on the Internet.
The reason I bring this issue up is that I teach public speaking and interpersonal communication courses. I have recently been teaching some hybrid courses, which combines online and face-to-face coursework. This is a challenge for public speaking students because there is not as much classroom time for them to get comfortable with the speaking environment and some of the course concepts are difficult to illustrate via the computer. With hybrid courses, however, the students at least are able to give speeches to a live audience. As a teacher, teaching hybrid courses is beneficial to me because it helps me strategically think through every lesson to best help the students understand and apply the material. My newest hybrid course is going to be eight weeks, which will be interesting because that is a short amount of time to get through all the course materials and have the students hone their speaking skills. I welcome this challenge because I believe one of the traits of being a good teachers is being able to adapt to any teaching situation. Despite my love of a good challenge though, I may have to draw the line at purely online speech classes.
Believe it or not, Colorado Community Colleges Online actually offers fully online public speaking classes. I have trouble grasping how anyone can learn public speaking this way. From my understanding, students videotape themselves giving the speeches. Many instructors require that the videos show shots of the audience so the students are actually speaking to a group. This bothers me. If students can videotape themselves, who is to stop them from rewinding ad re-recording their speeches if they mess up? And won’t students be able to assemble only those audiences in front of which they are comfortable speaking? For public speaking, students need to learn how to deliver a speech in front of a group of relative strangers and they need to have the skills to deliver it effectively on the first try. I feel that online speech courses would severely take away from this. If such a class is going to be conducted, it may as well be called “how to give a podcast” instead of public speaking.
The internet is wonderful for enriching some areas of our lives, but that does not mean it is the best avenue for education. There is a great benefit to learning in the classroom and actually getting to meet and engage with instructors and peers. Online high schools are even gaining popularity, but many people don’t realize that there is more to gaining an education than simply doing coursework or memorizing facts. School should also be about people and learning to communicate in person, and I hope that society won’t forget that no matter how many other areas of our lives the Internet penetrates.
Shameless Plug Alert!
I am pleased to announce that my cousin, John Rector, has brought great honor to the Rector name by publishing his first novel, The Cold Kiss. I just finished reading the book, and I have to say that it is a great read for anyone who likes crime thrillers.
Generally, I am not a fan of fiction because I find most new books to be boring and predictable. I generally read nonfiction because real life to me is far more entertaining than fantasy. A few notable exceptions for me would be the Harry Potter series and classics such as Brave New World. Naturally, however, I had to give this book a try and I was glad I did.
A quick read of the synopsis on the inside cover tells you that the novel focuses on Nate and Sara, two lovers on the run from their problems. They encounter a mysterious stranger who offers to pay them for a ride to Omaha. Caught in a blizzard, the characters are forced to stay the night in a motel in the middle of nowhere. Nate and Sara’s problems worsen when they find their passenger dead in the backseat with a large sum of money on him and they are trapped at the motel with no hopes of escape until the roads clear. From there, things basically descend into chaos as the characters fight to hide their secret from the other hotel occupants.
One thing I liked about this book is the writing style. It is written in first person from Nate’s point of view and the writing is natural and accessible. As I was reading, I felt transported and could easily imagine the characters and the setting. The dialogue is straightforward so you don’t have to hack through a jumble of words to try to figure out what the characters are trying to say. The plot is nice too because it moves along very quickly. I often find myself bored with books that are overly verbose and descriptive because it slows down the momentum of the story (Mary Higgins Clark, for example, has a tendency to overly describe what her characters are wearing, how they styled their hair and makeup and what they ordered for dinner). In The Cold Kiss on the other hand, things for Nate and Sara rapidly snowball into calamity, which leaves the reader desperately wanting to know how on earth they will possibly get themselves out of this terrible situation. It is definitely a book that is difficult to put down, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves a good crime novel.
OMG wat u mean my grammer iz bad?
You have a cell phone with a text messaging plan. You are on Facebook. You instant message. You email. While all of these are wonderful ways to stay connected with people, they are not excuses for using terrible grammar. I am astonished by the number of Facebook posts and emails I read that have such terrible grammar that they are completely incomprehensible. I have even gotten the occasional student paper written entirely in text-speak. At what point did people begin to think this type of writing is acceptable?
In college I was required to take a course called Newspaper Fundamentals. The course was basically an intensive grammar, spelling and style course. An 83 percent was required to pass. Anything below this grade would earn you an F. There were four tests: spelling, word usage (based on Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style), AP Style, and a comprehensive exam testing all three of these. Failure in any of these tests would result in failure in the course regardless of your performance on the other tests. Though it was certainly tough, the class was one of the most beneficial courses I took in college and is one that I think every student should have to take regardless of major. Perhaps if students were subjected to such intense grammar and spelling lessons, people such as myself would stop receiving emails that say things like, “OMG wens mah speach???”
Several years ago I compiled a list of some of the grammar mistakes that annoy me the most, and I present them now for your reading pleasure:
It’s funny when the dog chases its tail. You’re just in time for your appointment. There are so many ways that people misuse their words that they’re starting to drive me crazy.
Things do not go missing. They disappear. They vanish. They become lost. On that same note, things do not turn up missing. If they turn up, that means they have been found. If I ever see someone successfully turn up missing, I will give them a cookie.
Food is not aten. It is eaten. It is consumed. Aten isn’t even a word. If you tell me you haven’t aten anything all day, don’t expect me to feed you. I won’t know what you are talking about.
It…is…possible…to…use…too…many…dot…dot…dots…in…your…writing. This is text, not Morse Code.
DON’T TYPE IN ALL CAPS. MOST OF US DON’T LIKE BEING YELLED AT BY MACHINES.
Two people went to the store and spent too much money.
I am typing, not typeing. Drop the ‘e’ people.
The company did not have their grand opening. The company had its grand opening. The people who work for the company spent their first day on the job.
Just because you can insert thousands of commas into one sentence doesn’t mean you should. Commas are meant to be placed during natural pauses, kind of like where you would stop to breathe if you were reading it. If I, followed that rule, and read, this sentence, out loud, I would, probably, hyperventilate.
You could write about one thing and then another and then talk about something else and then make a joke and then use a quote and then tell a story and then list some things off and then finally finish your thought. Or you could split up all your ideas into sentences. That’s how paragraphs are born.
Don’t tell me you used to could tie your shoes. Maybe you used to be able to tie them. Maybe at one point in time you could tie them. However, I don’t think that at any time you used to could tie them. That makes no sense.
Don’t use no double negatives. You can get away with that kind of thing in Spanish, but this is English. Say it properly.
Prepositions are not good words to end sentences with. You can reword these sentences to say the exact same thing without ending with a preposition. It is not good to end a sentence with a preposition. See, was that so hard?
Please write in full sentences. OMG, LOL, WTF and such other abbreviations might be fine in a text message, but they have no place in your paper or professional email. Also, please use full words. There is no reason for sentences such as, “Can u get a ticket 4 me cuz I wanna go 2.” Is typing out those extra letters really that difficult?
These are just a few examples of the grammar problems that grate on my last nerve. I certainly hope something changes before this situation becomes even worse.
Oh, and in case you were wondering, I got an A in Newspaper Fundamentals.
The Truth About Community College
When people think of community colleges, chances are a lot of stereotypes spring to mind. Community college has the reputation of being a place for people who can’t hack it at a four year university, people who just want vocational degrees, people who are unmotivated and aren’t going to amount to anything. If you have these perceptions, then I highly recommend you read this article about the Top 7 Community College Myths.
I have taught communication courses both at a major university and at a community college and these preconceived notions that people have about community colleges are gross misconceptions. At Pikes Peak Community College where I currently work, I have had the pleasure of teaching some of the brightest, most creative, hardest working and most motivated individuals I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Here are some of my favorite things I have noticed about my own students:
1) They have big dreams. Community college is not the place where unmotivated people go for an easy degree. I have students who want to be nurses, doctors, engineers, accountants, teachers, psychologists, lawyers, business managers, politicians, and architects just to name a few. Based on the caliber of work they have put out, I firmly believe they will be successful in achieving these ambitions and becoming successful in their careers.
2) They have a desire to learn. Attending college isn’t something you just happen into. It is a conscious decision that is not entered into lightly. These students are in school because they have ambitions and goals to achieve. Many plan on continuing their education by pursuing bachelors and graduate level degrees. Most of them don’t complain about the class or coursework because they genuinely want to be there. I have found most of my students to be exceptionally hardworking and eager to learn. They don’t just show up and passively attend class. They participate in discussions and classroom activities and ask thought-provoking questions. Often I find that the teacher has become the student, because I learn as much from them as they do from me.
3) They are diverse. I know this is a rather general statement, but this is the best way I can describe it. In one class the age range might be anywhere from 16 to 65. My students are diverse in race, gender, religion, political ideals, sexual orientation, upbringing, education level, work experience, relationship status, family makeup, etc. The list goes on. If everyone at a college was the same, certainly my job would be easier, but it would not be nearly as fun and interesting. I love the challenge of figuring out the unique culture of each class and how to best relate to everyone. The more diverse the group, the more difficult this can be, but it also makes the whole experience far more exciting. At PPCC I have had the pleasure of meeting some of the most interesting people I have ever met in my entire life. Their stories entertain and inspire me. No two classes are ever the same. Even teaching the same lesson to three different classes yields three completely different experiences.
4) They are creative. As a speech teacher, one thing that can get annoying for me is when students pick generic, run-of-the-mill speech topics. In my past teaching experience, every semester in every class there would be at least one speech about why you should wear your seat belt, why you should wear sunscreen, and why you should donate blood. These generic topics would generally bore me to tears. At PPCC though, this has not been an issue. Instead I have been treated to topics such as the Flying Spaghetti Monster, the predictions of Nostradamus, the history of hula dancing and why the zombie apocalypse is a genuine possibility. These creative, outside-the-box speeches are vastly more interesting than generic ones and I rarely hear the same topic twice. Also, class time tends to yield more creative responses to questions. For example, this was an in-class exchange a week ago:
Me: What is one type of nonverbal feedback you might get from your audience?
Student: Rotten tomatoes.
5) They are highly intelligent and successful. The only students who fail my classes are the ones that stop showing up or don’t do the work. The rest tend to put out high quality work and get excellent grades. This is not because I am an easy grader either. On the contrary, I hold my PPCC students to the same standards I did at Auburn because they deserve the same caliber of education and should be properly prepared for a four year college should they decide to transfer. The quality of work I have seen over the past several semesters has been amazing. The misconception about community college students that bothers me the most is that they are somehow less intelligent than students at large universities. This is a horrible stereotype that I hope people will one day see past. My students are anything but stupid. In fact, there are many I would call downright brilliant. Like I said before, the ones who don’t succeed in my classes fail because they don’t do the work, not because they aren’t smart enough.
Now don’t get me wrong, not every student I encounter is as wonderful as the ones I describe above. However, in my experience, the awesome ones far outweigh the not-so-awesome ones. I find it personally offensive when people make judgmental blanket statements about my students. Anyone who has any of these stereotyped preconceptions about community colleges should sign up and take a course at one. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at all of the amazing individuals you will meet.
Social Media in the Classroom
A recent article in USA Today discusses a study about the use of social media among community college students. The study suggests that online social networking tools such as Facebook and Twitter can help students become more engaged in their schooling. Many community college students already use these sites for personal socialization, so they may have untapped potential for reaching out to these students for academic purposes. As a community college instructor, I am constantly looking for new ways to engage students in learning, so I have been thinking about ways that I might use these tools in my own courses.
There are some definite advantages and disadvantages to using social media to reach students. On the pro side, these are media that most students are familiar with and may be better able to navigate than school sites such as Blackboard or Desire2Learn. In addition, these are sites that students with smart phones can easily access when they are away from their computers. It also gives students a forum to connect with each other as well as the instructor. In my communication courses it is important to my students’ success that they interact with each other. Social media could help them establish relationships both in and outside the classroom.
On the con side, there are some obvious disadvantages to using social media to connect with students. First, not all students are tech savvy and might not be comfortable or familiar with sites like Twitter and Facebook. Also, because most people use these sites for casual social relationships, it might be difficult to establish a clear boundary between professional and personal relationships. Many students would probably not want their personal Facebook pages visible to their instructors, instructors would have to create a professional account separate from their personal accounts. Also, both students and instructors would have to remember to check these accounts every day to keep up-to-date.
Though I have not yet tried using Facebook or Twitter in my own classes, I am absolutely considering them for future semesters. Communication is fundamental to everything we do in life, and we should always explore new options for engaging with others. This is especially important in academia where effective communication among students and teachers is key to students success.
If there are any instructors out there who have tried using Facebook or Twitter to connect with students, I would be interested to hear how you are using it and how successful it has been.
Picture This #2
Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending the annual Doors Open Denver, where businesses all over Denver open their doors for tours. Here are two of my favorite pictures from the excursion. The first is the inside of the D&F Tower on 16th Street and the second is some beautiful tulips that were growing outside Castle Marne.
Chain Chain Chain…Chain of Jewels
Over the past couple of months I have discovered that i have a new-found talent and love: jewelry making. I took a beading class and after one day I was hooked (no earring pun intended).
Since I am already an avid fan of Etsy, I have decided to put myself out there and open my own Etsy store. Right now I am big into making earrings and necklaces and am learning new ways to manipulate wire. My hope is to become efficient at wire wrapping my own pendants so I can make some more original pieces.
This new venture will not only challenge my creativity and crafting skills, but also my ability to market myself. To check out my current inventory, visit my shop: ChainOfJewels.
I will post more updates as I create new pieces, and I welcome any and all feedback!
Then and Now
It’s amazing how much things can change in five years.
Today I was out shopping and picked up a new 4GB jump drive for about $14. This got me thinking back to when I bought my first jump drive back in 2005, which was almost five years ago. Back then I was taking a class called “Style and Design in Public Relations Messages.” The course naturally involved a lot of computer assignments, so we were required to have jump drives to store our work. I bought one with 512MB of storage for $150. Today I don’t think they even make ones that small, and for the amount I spent on my old one you could get 32GB or more of storage. Amazing.
Looking back, I have realized just how far technology has come since 2005. Here are just a few examples:
Then: All of my music was organized in Winamp, and when I wanted to go on a trip I burned several mix CDs.
Now: My music is organized in iTunes and all I have to take with me on trips is my iPod.
Then: I had a little silver flip phone that I adored because it had text messaging, a camera, a cool color screen, and polyphonic ringtones.
Now: My phone has a touch screen, GPS, video camera, internet browser, mobile email, mp3 ringtones and photo editing capabilities, among countless other features.
Then: Facebook had just opened up to high school students and was still very basic.
Now: Facebook is open to everyone, has millions more users and myriad features that it did not have in 2005, such as notes, gifts, news feed, status messages, chat and applications.
Then: Most people had never heard of YouTube.
Now: YouTube is one of the most popular sites on the web and has more than a billion views per day.
Then: Gmail was invitation only. I had gotten an invitation and signed up, but wasn’t sure if I would actually use it.
Now: Gmail is open to everyone, has more than 100 million users, and is my primary email service. Also, Google Wave is on the way.
These examples represent only a fraction of the ways in which technology has changed in the last five years. I can’t even begin to express how much these changes have impacted the way we communicate with each other and experience the world. With the way technology is growing exponentially, I can only imagine how different things will be a mere five years down the road. All I can say is that I am glad I will be along for the ride.
Picture This #1
In college I had a blog where I would occasionally post photos I had taken especially ones that made me particularly proud. Though that blog is no longer in operation, I would like to continue the grand tradition here, starting with a few pictures I took on a recent trip into the mountains. Enjoy!
Matchless Mine in Leadville, Colorado
Matchless Mine in Leadville, Colorado
Maroon Bells near Aspen, Colorado
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